Aker BP and Equinor Plug Dry Svarteknippa Well
August 12, 2026
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has reported that Aker BP and Equinor have drilled a dry exploration well, 15/6-17, in the Svarteknippa prospect in the North Sea.
The prospect is located 15 kilometers west of the Solveig field and 220 kilometers west of Stavanger.
This is the first exploration well drilled in production license 979, which was awarded through APA (awards in pre-defined areas) in 2018.
The well was drilled by the Scarabeo 8 drilling rig.
In recent years, exploration activity in the central part of the North Sea has been characterized by minor discoveries close to existing infrastructure. The area is defined as mature. Aker BP and Equinor have been the dominant exploration companies in this area.
The objective of the well was to prove hydrocarbons from the Middle Jurassic in the Hugin and Sleipner formations.
The secondary exploration target was to prove a reservoir and hydrocarbons in the Draupne and Heather formations.
The well encountered the Vestland Group near the primary exploration target. It has a thickness of 97 meters, 8 meters of which were sandstone with moderate to poor reservoir quality. Weak hydrocarbon indicators were recorded.
Near the secondary exploration target, the well encountered 191 meters of the Draupne Formation and 104 meters of the Heather Formation. Reservoir rocks were not proven in these two formations.
Well 15/6-17 was drilled to a vertical depth of 3704 meters below sea level, and was terminated in the Smith Bank Formation in the Triassic. Data acquisition was carried out, which included securing a 54-metre-long core in the Vestland Group.
Water depth at the site is 102 meters, and the well has been permanently plugged and abandoned.
